Vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment and method

Abstract

The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment disclosed in the present invention includes a vacuum chamber, a feeding chamber and a discharging chamber. The vacuum chamber is used to provide a vacuum working environment for the vacuum consumable arc melting device. A vacuum consumable arc melting device and a continuous casting device are arranged in the vacuum chamber. The continuous casting device is arranged below the vacuum consumable arc melting device. The vacuum consumable arc melting device is used to melt the consumable electrode and melt it into a molten liquid. The continuous casting device is used to convert the molten liquid into an ingot. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment disclosed in the present invention can realize the automated continuous production of the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting process of titanium alloys, shorten the production cycle, improve the production efficiency, and the automated production can ensure the stability of the metallurgical production quality of the ingot. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method disclosed in the present invention is used to convert the consumable electrode into an ingot by the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of metal smelting and casting, and more specifically to a vacuum consumable arc smelting and continuous casting device and method. Background Art

[0002] Due to the advantages of titanium and titanium alloys such as corrosion resistance, high temperature resistance, and high specific strength, they are increasingly widely used in aerospace, petrochemical, biomedical, and automotive industries. The main raw materials for the production of titanium and titanium alloys are sponge titanium and other intermediate titanium-containing alloys and waste materials. The main production methods include vacuum consumable arc melting, non-consumable arc melting, electron beam cold hearth furnace melting, cold crucible melting, and electroslag melting. Among them, vacuum consumable arc melting has become the main production method of titanium alloys due to its high technical maturity, high production efficiency, and ability to produce large-size ingots. However, this method currently has the following shortcomings:

[0003] 1. The bottom of the ingot and the riser produced during the smelting and shrinkage feeding stage need to be removed. Cutting the head and tail causes a huge waste of materials and brings too high cumulative costs;

[0004] 2. The smelting production process begins to be adjusted before entering the feeding stage or the feeding stage. The discontinuity of the process causes defects such as ingot component segregation and uneven solidification structure;

[0005] 3. Each smelting process requires manual work such as furnace loading, welding, vacuuming, etc., which is labor-intensive and time-consuming.

[0006] Continuous casting technology began in the 1950s and is a vital production technology for the contemporary steel industry. Compared with die casting, continuous casting has very obvious advantages, such as high yield rate, simple process and low cost, good product uniformity, and easy mechanical automation. At present, the continuous casting process of titanium alloys has begun to attract the attention of researchers at home and abroad, but most of them are aimed at electron beam cold hearth furnace melting or cold crucible melting, while there are few studies on the continuous casting process based on vacuum consumable arc melting.

[0007] Therefore, how to realize the automation of the continuous casting process of titanium alloy based on vacuum consumable arc melting to improve production efficiency and reduce production costs has become a technical problem that needs to be urgently solved by technical personnel in this field. Summary of the invention

[0008] In view of this, the object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment to realize the automation of the continuous casting process of titanium alloy based on vacuum consumable arc melting, improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method, which realizes the automation of the continuous casting process of titanium alloy based on vacuum consumable arc melting through the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment.

[0010] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0011] A vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting device, comprising:

[0012] A vacuum chamber, wherein a vacuum consumable arc melting device and a continuous casting device are arranged in the vacuum chamber, wherein the continuous casting device is arranged below the vacuum consumable arc melting device, the vacuum consumable arc melting device is used to melt the consumable electrode into a molten liquid, and the continuous casting device is used to convert the molten liquid into an ingot;

[0013] A feeding chamber, which is arranged at the inlet end of the vacuum chamber and is connected to the vacuum chamber through a first switch valve, and is used to be isolated from the vacuum chamber and form a feeding space;

[0014] The discharge chamber is arranged at the outlet end of the vacuum chamber and is connected with the vacuum chamber through a second switch valve. The discharge chamber is used to be isolated from the vacuum chamber and form a discharge space.

[0015] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, an electrode conveying device for conveying the consumable electrode to the vacuum consumable arc melting device is provided in the vacuum chamber, and the vacuum consumable arc melting device includes a graphite electrode arranged at a first end of the electrode conveying device, and the graphite electrode is electrically connected to the positive electrode of the power supply. The consumable electrode is used to be electrically connected to the negative electrode of the power supply through the electrode conveying device, and then generate an arc with the graphite electrode for melting.

[0016] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, an electrode storage table for storing the consumable electrode is provided in the feed chamber, the electrode storage table is arranged at the second end of the electrode conveying device, and a pushing device for pushing the consumable electrode onto the electrode conveying device is provided on the electrode storage table.

[0017] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, a welding device is arranged in the vacuum chamber, and the welding device is arranged above the electrode conveying device. The pushing device is used to push the consumable electrodes and make any two adjacent consumable electrodes fit together, so that the welding device can weld any two adjacent consumable electrodes.

[0018] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, the vacuum consumable arc melting device includes a crystallizer for receiving and condensing the melt, and the crystallizer is provided with a circulating cooling pipe water jacket for performing a first cooling of the melt, and the continuous casting device includes a secondary cooling system arranged at the outlet of the crystallizer and used for performing a second cooling of the melt.

[0019] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, the secondary cooling system comprises two rows of nip rollers, the nip rollers are both hourglass-shaped, and the ingot is used to pass through the middle of the two rows of nip rollers.

[0020] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, a stirring coil for stirring the molten liquid is provided between the crystallizer and the circulating cooling tube water jacket.

[0021] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, the feed chamber is provided with a feed port for feeding, the feed port is provided with a feed valve, the discharge chamber is provided with a discharge port for discharging, and the discharge port is provided with a discharge valve.

[0022] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, the feed valve and the discharge valve are both gate valves; and / or,

[0023] The first switch valve and the second switch valve are both gate valves.

[0024] A vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method for converting the consumable electrode into the ingot by means of the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, comprising the steps of:

[0025] Feeding, evacuating the feeding chamber, and feeding the consumable electrode in the feeding chamber into the vacuum chamber;

[0026] Melting, melting the consumable electrode to obtain the molten liquid;

[0027] Continuously casting and solidifying the molten metal to obtain the ingot;

[0028] Discharging, sending the ingot into the discharging chamber.

[0029] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method, between the feeding step and the melting step, the following steps are further included:

[0030] Welding: welding any two adjacent consumable electrodes to improve the continuity of the smelting step.

[0031] Preferably, in the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method, before the feeding step, the following steps are further included:

[0032] The vacuum chamber is evacuated.

[0033] The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment provided by the present invention comprises a vacuum chamber, a feeding chamber and a discharging chamber. The vacuum chamber is used to provide a vacuum operating environment for the vacuum consumable arc melting device. A vacuum consumable arc melting device and a continuous casting device are arranged in the vacuum chamber. The continuous casting device is arranged below the vacuum consumable arc melting device. The vacuum consumable arc melting device is used to melt the consumable electrode and melt it into a molten liquid. The continuous casting device is used to convert the molten liquid into an ingot. The feeding chamber is arranged at the inlet end of the vacuum chamber and is connected to the vacuum chamber through a first switch valve. When feeding into the feeding chamber, the feeding chamber is isolated from the vacuum chamber and forms a feeding space. When feeding into the vacuum chamber is required, the feeding chamber must be evacuated in advance by a vacuum pump unit, and then the first switch valve is opened to connect the feeding chamber with the vacuum chamber to prevent the vacuum operating environment of the vacuum chamber from being damaged. The discharge chamber is arranged at the outlet end of the vacuum chamber and is connected with the vacuum chamber through the second switch valve. After the ingot is transported to the discharge chamber, the second switch valve is closed to isolate the discharge chamber from the vacuum chamber and form a discharge space for discharge. After the discharge is completed, the discharge chamber is evacuated to connect with the vacuum chamber for the next discharge.

[0034] Compared with the prior art, the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment provided by the present invention can realize the automated continuous production of the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting process of titanium alloy, shorten the production cycle, improve the production efficiency, and the automated production can ensure the stability of the metallurgical production quality of the ingot. At the same time, compared with the existing vacuum consumable arc melting ingot, each ingot produced needs to cut off the riser once, which is too wasteful. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment provided by the present invention only produces and cuts off the riser once at the end of continuous casting, which greatly improves the metal recovery rate and reduces the material cost.

[0035] The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method provided by the present invention is used to convert the consumable electrode into an ingot by means of the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, and includes a feeding step, a melting step, a continuous casting step and a discharging step. The feeding step is specifically to evacuate the feeding chamber and send the consumable electrode in the feeding chamber into the vacuum chamber; the melting step is specifically to melt the consumable electrode to obtain a molten metal; the continuous casting step is specifically to solidify the molten metal to obtain an ingot. The discharging step is specifically to send the ingot into the discharging chamber.

[0036] Compared with the prior art, the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method provided by the present invention can realize the production of titanium alloy based on the continuous casting process of vacuum consumable arc melting, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing production costs. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0038] Figure 1 A first flow chart of the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 2 A second flow chart of the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 3 A third flow chart of the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 4 The present invention is a schematic structural diagram of a vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting device disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Among them, 100 is a feed chamber, 101 is a feed valve, 102 is a first switch valve, 103 is a motor storage table, 110 is a pushing device, 200 is a vacuum chamber, 201 is an electrode conveying device, 202 is a conveying motor, 210 is a welding device, 220 is a graphite electrode, 221 is a positive pole of a power supply, 222 is a negative pole of a power supply, 230 is a crystallizer, 231 is a stirring coil, 232 is a circulating cooling pipe water jacket, 240 is a secondary cooling system, 250 is a straightening machine, 260 is a cutting machine, 300 is a discharge chamber, 301 is a second switch valve, 302 is a discharge valve, 400 is a consumable electrode, 401 is a melt, 402 is a continuous casting embryo, and 403 is an ingot. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] The core of the present invention is to disclose a vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment to realize the automation of the continuous casting process of titanium alloy based on vacuum consumable arc melting, improve production efficiency and reduce production costs.

[0044] Another core of the present invention is to disclose a vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method, which realizes the automation of the continuous casting process of titanium alloy based on vacuum consumable arc melting through the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment.

[0045] The following is an explanation of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the embodiments shown below do not limit the invention described in the claims. In addition, the entire contents of the configurations shown in the following embodiments are not limited to the solutions required as the invention described in the claims.

[0046] Combination Figure 4 The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention includes a vacuum chamber 200, a feeding chamber 100 and a discharging chamber 300.

[0047] The vacuum chamber 200 is used to provide a vacuum working environment for the vacuum consumable arc melting device. The vacuum chamber 200 is provided with a vacuum consumable arc melting device and a continuous casting device. The continuous casting device is arranged below the vacuum consumable arc melting device. The vacuum consumable arc melting device is used to melt the consumable electrode 400 and melt it into a melt 401. The continuous casting device is used to convert the melt 401 into an ingot 403.

[0048] The feed chamber 100 is arranged at the inlet end of the vacuum chamber 200 and is connected to the vacuum chamber 200 through the first switch valve 102. Specifically, the feed chamber 100 is connected to a set of vacuum pump units. When feeding into the feed chamber 100, the feed chamber 100 is isolated from the vacuum chamber 200 and forms a feeding space. When feeding into the vacuum chamber 200 is required, the feed chamber 100 is evacuated in advance by the vacuum pump unit, and then the first switch valve 102 is opened to connect the feed chamber 100 with the vacuum chamber 200 to prevent the vacuum working environment of the vacuum chamber 200 from being damaged.

[0049] The discharge chamber 300 is arranged at the outlet end of the vacuum chamber 200 and is connected with the vacuum chamber 200 through the second switch valve 301. After the ingot 403 is transported to the discharge chamber 300, the second switch valve 301 is closed to isolate the discharge chamber 300 from the vacuum chamber 200 and form a discharge space for discharge. After the discharge is completed, the discharge chamber 300 is evacuated by the vacuum pump unit to be connected with the vacuum chamber 200 for the next discharge.

[0050] Compared with the prior art, the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention can realize the automated continuous production of titanium alloy vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting processes, shorten the production cycle, improve production efficiency, and automated production can ensure the stability of the metallurgical production quality of ingot 403.

[0051] At the same time, the existing vacuum consumable arc melting ingot casting process needs to cut off the riser once for each ingot produced, which causes excessive waste. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention only produces and cuts off the riser once at the end of continuous casting, which greatly improves the metal recovery rate and reduces material costs.

[0052] In a specific embodiment disclosed in the present invention, an electrode conveying device 201 for conveying a consumable electrode 400 to a vacuum consumable arc melting device is provided in a vacuum chamber 200, so as to transfer the consumable electrode 400 from a position of the vacuum chamber 200 close to a feed chamber 100 to a melting position of the vacuum consumable arc melting device. The vacuum consumable arc melting device comprises a graphite electrode 220 provided at a first end of the electrode conveying device 201, wherein the graphite electrode 220 and the consumable electrode 400 are at the same horizontal position and are electrically connected to a positive electrode 221 of a power supply, and the consumable electrode 400 is used to be electrically connected to a negative electrode 222 of a power supply through the electrode conveying device 201. During the melting process, an arc is formed between the graphite electrode 220 and the consumable electrode 400, so that the consumable electrode 400 is melted into a molten liquid 401 and falls into a continuous casting device.

[0053] An electrode storage table 103 is provided in the feeding chamber 100. When feeding into the feeding chamber 100, the consumable electrode 400 is placed on the electrode storage table 103, and the electrode storage table 103 is provided at the second end of the electrode conveying device 201. A pushing device 110 is provided on the electrode storage table 103 to push the consumable electrode 400 onto the electrode conveying device 201 when the feeding chamber 100 and the vacuum chamber 100 are connected.

[0054] In order to maintain the continuity of the consumable electrode 400 melted by the vacuum consumable arc melting device, a welding device 210 is provided in the vacuum chamber 200. The welding device 210 is provided above the electrode conveying device 201, and the pushing device 110 can push the consumable electrode 400 and make any two adjacent consumable electrodes 400 fit together, so that the welding device 210 can weld any two adjacent consumable electrodes 400 when the consumable electrode 400 is conveyed to the melting position, thereby ensuring the continuity of feeding to the vacuum consumable arc melting device.

[0055] Specifically, the welding device 210 is a plasma welding device. The electrode conveying device 201 is composed of an electrode conveying roller and a conveying motor 202. When the push rod of the pushing device 110 pushes the consumable electrode 400 to the vacuum chamber 200, the conveying motor 202 drives the electrode conveying roller to rotate and conveys the consumable electrode 400 to the vacuum consumable arc melting device. The conveying speed is controlled by the rotation speed of the conveying motor 202. One end of the electrode conveying device 201 is connected to a water-cooled cable and connected to the negative pole 222 of the consumable melting power supply. The welding device includes a plasma welding gun that can move horizontally and up and down. The electrode conveying roller of the electrode conveying device 201 can drive the consumable electrode 400 to rotate and convey the consumable electrode 400 forward. The plasma welding gun can move along the weld between the two consumable electrodes 400 and weld two adjacent consumable electrodes 400 together during the movement (only a few points need to be welded to connect the consumable electrodes 400 together to ensure continuous feeding of the vacuum consumable arc melting device). An electronic camera system is installed at the tail of the plasma welding gun to observe the welding condition of the weld.

[0056] In a specific embodiment disclosed in the present invention, the vacuum consumable arc melting device includes a crystallizer 230 for receiving and condensing the melt 401. The shape of the crystallizer 230 is set to be open at the top and bottom, and the material is copper. The inner surface is flat and smooth, and the inner wall is set to have a taper with a small top and a large bottom. Since the melt 401 needs to be condensed to convert the melt 401 into a continuous casting embryo 402, the crystallizer 230 is provided with a circulating cooling pipe water jacket 232 for passing circulating cooling water to perform the first cooling of the melt 401. The continuous casting device includes a secondary cooling system 240 arranged at the outlet of the crystallizer 230 and used for the second cooling of the melt 401.

[0057] The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention continuously feeds and arranges a welding device 210 above the crystallizer 230, and arranges a continuous casting device below the crystallizer 230, so that the titanium alloy can be continuously welded and melted while also being continuously drawn and cast, thereby realizing the automated continuous production of titanium alloy.

[0058] like Figure 4As shown, a stirring coil 231 for stirring the melt 401 is arranged between the crystallizer 230 and the circulating cooling pipe water jacket 232, which can improve the quality of the ingot 403. The secondary cooling system 240 includes two rows of clamping rollers, and the ingot 403 passes through the middle of the clamping rollers. According to the shape characteristics of the circular cross-section of the continuous casting embryo 402, the shape of the clamping roller is set to an hourglass shape to increase the heat exchange area with the ingot 402. Circulating cooling water is passed through the clamping rollers to perform secondary cooling on the ingot. The cooling intensity can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate of cooling water in the clamping rollers. The secondary cooling system 240 can support the continuous casting ingot 402 that has not yet completely solidified, and further cool the surface of the continuous casting ingot 402. At the beginning of smelting, a dummy rod is set. When the titanium alloy fills the bottom molten pool and solidifies, the continuous casting ingot 402 is pulled down. The secondary cooling system 240 plays a guiding role in the movement of the continuous casting ingot 402 and the dummy rod.

[0059] The continuous casting device also includes a straightening machine 250 and a cutting machine 260. The straightening machine 250 is composed of a transmission device, a pressing device, a roller, a frame, a base, etc., and is used to continuously pull out and straighten the continuous casting embryo 402. The opening of the upper and lower rollers can be adjusted. The transmission device uses an AC variable frequency motor to flexibly adjust the pulling speed, and the pressing device uses a hydraulic method. The cutting machine 260 can be a plasma cutting gun, which is used to cut the continuous casting embryo 402 into an ingot 403. The specific structure and operating principle of the continuous casting device are both existing technologies and will not be repeated here.

[0060] In a specific embodiment disclosed in the present invention, the feed chamber 100 is provided with a feed port for feeding, the feed port is provided with a feed valve 101, the discharge chamber 300 is provided with a discharge port for discharging, the discharge port is provided with a discharge valve 302, and both the feed valve 101 and the discharge valve 302 can be gate valves. The feed chamber 100 and the discharge chamber 300 are respectively connected to a set of vacuum pump units.

[0061] It should be noted that the first on-off valve 102 and the second on-off valve 301 may both be gate valves.

[0062] like Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention is used to convert the consumable electrode 400 into an ingot 403 through the above-mentioned vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, including a feeding step, a melting step, a continuous casting step and a discharging step.

[0063] S10, feeding;

[0064] The feed chamber 100 is evacuated, and the consumable electrode 400 in the feed chamber 100 is sent into the vacuum chamber 200 .

[0065] The consumable electrode 400 to be smelted is stored in the feed chamber 100. The feed space is evacuated and the vacuum degree of the feed chamber 100 and the vacuum chamber 200 is ensured to be the same, so as to avoid damage to the vacuum working environment of the vacuum chamber 200 when the consumable electrode 400 is sent into the vacuum chamber 200.

[0066] S20, smelting;

[0067] The consumable electrode 400 is melted to obtain a melt 401 .

[0068] The smelting process of the consumable electrode 400 can be carried out by a consumable arc smelting device, and the molten liquid 401 required for continuous casting is obtained after smelting.

[0069] S30, continuous casting;

[0070] The melt 401 is solidified to obtain an ingot 403 .

[0071] The casting process of the above-mentioned molten liquid 401 can be carried out by a continuous casting device, and an ingot 403 is obtained after continuous casting.

[0072] S40, discharging;

[0073] The ingot 403 is fed into the discharge chamber 300 .

[0074] When the ingot 403 is delivered to the discharge chamber 300 , it is necessary to ensure that the vacuum degrees in the discharge chamber 300 and the vacuum chamber 200 are consistent to prevent damage to the vacuum working environment in the vacuum chamber 200 .

[0075] Compared with the prior art, the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method disclosed in the embodiment of the present invention can realize the production of titanium alloy based on vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting process, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing production costs.

[0076] Combination Figure 2 In order to improve the continuity of the production process, a welding step is also included between S10 and S20.

[0077] S50, welding;

[0078] Any two adjacent consumable electrodes 400 are welded to improve the continuity of S30.

[0079] In order to prevent the melting process of two adjacent consumable electrodes 400 from being interrupted, welding may be performed using a welding device 210 .

[0080] Combination Figure 3 , before S10, a vacuuming step is also included.

[0081] S00, vacuuming;

[0082] The vacuum chamber 100 is evacuated to provide a vacuum working environment required for the operation of the vacuum consumable arc melting device.

[0083] In a specific embodiment disclosed in the present invention, the vacuum chamber 200 is first evacuated until the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber 200 is ≤3Pa.

[0084] The feed valve 101 is opened, the consumable electrode 400 is delivered into the feed chamber 100, and is horizontally placed on the electrode storage table 103, the feed valve 101 is closed, and the vacuum pump is turned on to pre-evacuate the feed chamber 100. When the vacuum degree of the feed chamber 100 is consistent with the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber 200, the first switch valve 102 is opened, and the push rod of the push device 110 delivers the consumable electrode 400 into the vacuum chamber 200, and makes its front end close to the rear end of the previous consumable electrode 400. After the push rod of the push device 110 is pushed and retracted into the feed chamber 100, the first switch valve 102 is closed, the vacuum of the feed chamber 100 is broken, the feed valve 101 is opened, the feeding is continued, and the next cycle process is started.

[0085] The electrode conveying device 201 in the vacuum chamber conveys the consumable electrode 400 to the welding operation area (the operation area of ​​the welding device 210), adjusts the position of the plasma welding gun to align it with the gap between the two consumable electrodes 400, starts the welding machine power supply for welding, and the voltmeter displays a no-load voltage of 120V to 150V. Press the high-frequency arc ignition until the arc is formed. After the arc is formed, the height of the welding gun is raised to 60mm to 70mm (adjusted according to the current size and arc conditions). While the welding gun is welding, the conveying roller of the electrode conveying device 201 rotates to convey the consumable electrode 400 forward until the two consumable electrodes 400 are welded firmly. While the previous consumable electrode 400 is being melted, the next consumable electrode 400 is conveyed to the welding operation area to achieve continuous feeding.

[0086] When the electrode conveying device 201 conveys the front end of the consumable electrode 400 to a position 30 mm to 40 mm away from the graphite electrode 220, the dummy rod is lifted to the upper part of the crystallizer 230, the graphite electrode 220 is connected to the positive electrode 221 of the DC power supply, and the electrode conveying device 201 is connected to the negative electrode 222 of the power supply. The circulating cooling water, compressed air, and circuit conditions are checked. After preparation, the smelting power supply is started, and it is confirmed that the no-load voltage is 65V to 75V. The smelting power supply is started, and the consumable electrode 400 is fed forward to generate an arc between it and the graphite electrode 220. The consumable electrode 400 is melted into the molten liquid 401 and drips into the molten pool formed by the crystallizer 230. The pouring and drainage of the continuous casting device is carried out through the ingot guide rod. When the bottom of the molten metal solidifies, the ingot guide rod is pulled down, and the pulling-down speed of the straightening machine 250 is controlled so that the surface of the molten pool is always on the upper part of the crystallizer 230. At the same time, the electrode conveying device 201 is controlled to feed the consumable electrode 400 forward so that its moving speed is also maintained at a position so that the surface of the molten pool is always on the upper part of the crystallizer 230. The consumable electrode 400 is melted while the continuous casting billet 402 is pulled down, thereby realizing vacuum consumable smelting and continuous casting functions.

[0087] Below the crystallizer 230 is a secondary cooling system 240, which can bend the continuous casting billet 402 from a straight billet to an arc-shaped billet. The cooling intensity of the billet can be controlled by adjusting the flow rate of cooling water in the clamping roller. The continuous casting billet 402 enters the straightening machine 250 through the guide section. The straightening machine 250 achieves the purpose of straightening by applying bending stress and tensile stress to the continuous casting billet 402 at the same time. At the same time, the pulling speed of the continuous casting billet 402 is controlled by the transmission roller. The straightening machine 250 uses a light pressing technology at a position 1m to 2m before the end point of the solidification of the billet to control the center segregation of the continuous casting billet 402. After passing through the straightening machine 250, the continuous casting billet 402 reaches the end of the continuous casting device in the vacuum chamber 200. The plasma cutting machine set here can cut the continuous casting billet 402 into ingots 403 of fixed length specifications.

[0088] Close the second switch valve 301 and the discharge valve 302, pre-evacuate the discharge chamber 300, and when its vacuum degree is consistent with that of the vacuum chamber 200, open the second switch valve 301, and the transmission roller delivers the ingot 403 into the discharge chamber 300, close the second switch valve 301, break the vacuum in the discharge chamber 300, open the discharge valve 302, and deliver the ingot 403.

[0089] In a specific embodiment disclosed in the present invention, the ultimate vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber 200 is 0.1Pa, the leakage rate of the vacuum chamber 200 is 0.3Pa / min, 20 titanium alloy electrodes are processed into consumable electrodes 400 of Φ240mm×1000mm, and the consumable electrodes 400 are hoisted and sent into the feed chamber 100 in sequence at a rate of one electrode every 40min. The welding current of the plasma welding gun is 390A, the welding voltage is 60V, the weld width is 30mm~50mm, and the weld depth is 10mm~2 5mm; the moving speed of the electrode conveying device 201 for conveying the consumable electrode 400 is 25mm / min (0mm / min~800mm / min continuously adjustable), the diameter of the graphite electrode 220 is Φ240mm, the thickness of the crystallizer 230 is 25mm, the height is 800mm, the inner diameter is Φ300mm, the stirring magnetic field strength of the stirring coil 231 is 30Gs (0Gs~60Gs, continuously adjustable), and the circulating cooling water flow rate in the circulating cooling pipe water jacket 232 is 5t / h~50t / h. The vacuum consumable melting current is controlled at 6000A (1000A~20000A continuously adjustable), the melting voltage is about 25V, the ingot drawing speed is 18mm / min (0mm / min~600mm / min continuously adjustable), the ingot diameter is Φ300mm, and the plasma cutting gun automatically cuts once every 1.5m of the continuous casting ingot 402, and the conveying roller sends the Φ300mm×1500mm ingot 403 out of the discharge chamber 300.

[0090] The terms "first" and "second" and the like in the specification and claims of the present invention and the above drawings are used to distinguish different objects, rather than to describe a specific order. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. For example, a process, method, system, product or device including a series of steps or units is not limited to the listed steps or units, but may include steps or units that are not listed.

[0091] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables one skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be apparent to one skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment, characterized in that: include: A vacuum chamber (200), wherein a vacuum consumable arc melting device and a continuous casting device are arranged in the vacuum chamber (200), wherein the continuous casting device is arranged below the vacuum consumable arc melting device, the vacuum consumable arc melting device is used to melt a consumable electrode (400) into a molten liquid (401), and the continuous casting device is used to convert the molten liquid (401) into an ingot (403), and the vacuum chamber (200) is used to provide a vacuum working environment; A feed chamber (100) is arranged at the inlet end of the vacuum chamber (200) and is connected to the vacuum chamber (200) via a first switch valve (102); the feed chamber (100) is used to be isolated from the vacuum chamber (200) and form a feed space; and the feed chamber (100) is connected to a vacuum pump unit so as to evacuate the feed space before the feed chamber (100) is connected to the vacuum chamber (200); A discharge chamber (300) is arranged at the outlet end of the vacuum chamber (200) and is connected to the vacuum chamber (200) via a second switch valve (301); the discharge chamber (300) is used to be isolated from the vacuum chamber (200) and form a discharge space; and the discharge chamber (300) is connected to a vacuum pump unit so as to evacuate the discharge space before the vacuum chamber (200) is connected to the discharge chamber (300); An electrode conveying device (201) for conveying the consumable electrode (400) to the vacuum consumable arc melting device is arranged in the vacuum chamber (200); the vacuum consumable arc melting device comprises a graphite electrode (220) arranged at a first end of the electrode conveying device (201); the graphite electrode (220) is electrically connected to a positive electrode (221) of a power supply; the consumable electrode (400) is used to be electrically connected to a negative electrode (222) of a power supply through the electrode conveying device (201), thereby generating an arc with the graphite electrode (220) for melting; an electrode storage table (103) for storing the consumable electrode (400) is arranged in the feed chamber (100); the electrode storage table (103) is arranged at a second end of the electrode conveying device (201); a pushing device (110) for pushing the consumable electrode (400) onto the electrode conveying device (201) is arranged on the electrode storage table (103); A welding device (210) is arranged in the vacuum chamber (200); the welding device (210) is arranged above the electrode conveying device (201); the pushing device (110) is used to push the consumable electrodes (400) and make any two adjacent consumable electrodes (400) fit together, so that the welding device (210) can weld any two adjacent consumable electrodes (400).

2. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vacuum consumable arc melting device comprises a crystallizer (230) for receiving and condensing the molten liquid (401), the crystallizer (230) is provided with a circulating cooling pipe water jacket (232) for performing a first cooling on the molten liquid (401), and the continuous casting device comprises a secondary cooling system (240) arranged at the outlet of the crystallizer (230) and for performing a second cooling on the molten liquid (401).

3. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The secondary cooling system (240) comprises two rows of clamping rollers, each of which is hourglass-shaped, and the ingot (403) is used to pass through the middle of the two rows of clamping rollers.

4. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: A stirring coil (231) for stirring the melt (401) is provided between the crystallizer (230) and the circulating cooling tube water jacket (232).

5. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The feed chamber (100) is provided with a feed port for feeding, and the feed port is provided with a feed valve (101); the discharge chamber (300) is provided with a discharge port for discharging, and the discharge port is provided with a discharge valve (302).

6. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The feed valve (101) and the discharge valve (302) are both gate valves; and / or, The first on-off valve (102) and the second on-off valve (301) are both gate valves.

7. A vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method for converting the consumable electrode (400) into the ingot (403) by means of the vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: Includes steps: Feeding, evacuating the feeding chamber (100) to deliver the consumable electrode (400) in the feeding chamber (100) into the vacuum chamber (200); Melting, melting the consumable electrode (400) to obtain the molten liquid (401); Continuously casting and solidifying the molten metal (401) to obtain the ingot (403); Discharging, sending the ingot (403) into the discharging chamber (300).

8. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method according to claim 7, characterized in that: Between the feeding step and the smelting step, the method further comprises the following steps: Welding: welding any two adjacent consumable electrodes (400) to improve the continuity of the smelting step.

9. The vacuum consumable arc melting and continuous casting method according to claim 7, characterized in that: Before the feeding step, the method further comprises the following steps: The vacuum chamber (200) is evacuated.

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